Outbursts - Turin Brakes Album Review by Paul Pledger | allgigs.co.uk

Outbursts - Turin Brakes Album Review

Turin Brakes

Album Review

There is always something re-assuring about the Brakes warm sunny mornings, fresh proper coffee, a wander down to the river/beach and then home in time for a nice Sunday meal and a TV drama. And that is possibly the problem with their perceived audience, well the one that the media create anyway. Musically its all very beautifully-crafted and easy to stick on when the baguettes are warming in the oven. Personally, I like all of the above little pleasures apart from the Sunday TV dramas I mean, how many people are actually left in Midsomer after all those homicides?

Another question how many more little treasures have Turin Brakes got tucked up their sleeves, because this is a very fine set of them. From the sweeping delight of the opening song Sea Change, with its infectious rhythm and chorus, past the joyous Rocket Song, into the obvious choice for a single (but isnt), The Invitation, Im pushed to say that this is possibly their best album since their debut, even surpassing it. A bold statement.

The quality dips a little in the middle but, unlike previous Brakes albums, it only slips to the standard of some of the best moments from say, Jackinabox or Ether Song. The middle cluster of Apocolips, Embryos and Never Stops may well require repeated listens, but the closing trio of the sublime The Letting Down, Radio Silence and the title track certainly dont beautifully recorded and thoughtfully arranged, those fragile harmonies combining to make a perfect epilogue to a satisfying stroll along the beach, a warm sunny morning and a big old pint of cider.